PROCEEDINGS

HAGI-IAGI Joint Convention Medan 2013

28 31 October


Rock Physics Modelling for Shale Gas Identification
Muhammad Saladin Islami
1
and Ignatius Sonny Winardhi
1

1
Department of Geophysics, Bandung Institute of Technology.


Abstract

Unconventional resources such as shale gas have been an
important exploration and production target for several
years. However, seismic characterization of shale gas
reservoirs remains challenging due to limited understanding
of seismic responses to shale-gas reservoir properties, such
as relationship between total organic content (TOC) and
seismic anisotropy. Studying the effective elastic properties
using the rock physics model will help improving our
understanding of shale gas reservoirs.
An integrated rock physics modelling is carried out by
incorporating organic matter as part of the voids space in
the rock. The solid background is estimated using effective
medium theory by mixing different minerals involved. As
void is divided into solid-filled volumes - with kerogen
inside - and fluid filled pores, both substitution involving
solid and fluid are performed. The change in effective
modulus and velocity anisotropy due to TOC, mineralogy
and water saturation are exercised. Results show that
increase in organic content, generally reduces Vp/Vs ratio
and P-impedance, while increases anisotropy parameter.
This experiment, which has been validated to field data
measurement, helps us to better understand and identify
shale gas reservoirs.

Introduction

Organic-rich shales are intrinsically heterogeneous and
complex, comprising an inorganic framework in which
organic matter may be dispersed in different amounts. The
inorganic is clay, silt, quartz, carbonate, pyrite, etc. The
organic (kerogen) appears as nano-particles (macerals) and
hydrocarbons. In some cases organics appear as inclusions
in the inorganic background and the inverse in other case.
Elastic properties of organic-rich shales, such as velocity
and anisotropy parameter, depends on many factor and hard
to predict. Mineral composition, porosity, TOC, maturity,
compaction, and brittleness affect the elastic properties of
shales rocks.
Studying the effective elastic properties using the rock
physics model will help improving our understanding of
shale gas reservoirs. Several study on the elastic properties
of shale gas have been developed. Vanorio et al (2008)
presents a relationship between maturity and Thomsens
anisotropy parameter. Lucier et al (2011) evaluate effect of
gas saturation on acoustic log data from shale gas plays.
Zhu et al (2012) developed an improved rock physics
workflow to incorporate TOC effects. Guo et al (2012)
investigate how to measure the variation of rock brittleness
index, mineralogy, and porosity in shales using rock
physics templates with proper elastic properties. Sayers
(2013) evaluate effect of kerogen on the elastic anisotropy
of organic rich shale.
In this paper, we construct an integrated shale rock physics
model, considering complexity and heterogeneity in shale.
The model then applied to log data from Gumai formation.
Results show that increase in organic content, generally
reduces Vp/Vs ratio, P-impedance, and brittleness index,
while increases velocity anisotropy. This experiment,
which has been validated to field data measurement, helps
us to better understand and identify shale gas reservoirs.

Methodology

Our shale-gas rock physics modelling (Figure 1) based on
the workflow that developed by Zhu et al (2012). This
framework is similar to and can be found in Xu and Payne
(2009) for modelling carbonate rocks. First, we calculate
the mixture of different minerals such as clay, carbonates,
and quartz for solid background using Voigt-Reuss-Hill
averaging. A dry rock frame is then formed by introducing
inclusions into the solid background using Kuster-Toksoz.
The inclusions such as pores and cracks characterized by
aspect ratio (short axis to long axis ratio) in shales.
Experiences from various shale gas formations suggest that
modelled results using organic matter treated as inclusion-
filling material generally match well with measured
velocity and resistivity log data [Zhu et al, 2009]. In this
study, organic matter is considered as part of the inclusion
space (void). As void is divided into solid-filled volumes,
with kerogen inside, and fluid filled pores, both substitution
involving solid and fluid are performed.

Figure 1: Schematic view of shale rock physics model
PROCEEDINGS
HAGI-IAGI Joint Convention Medan 2013
28 31 October

For fluid-filled pores within organic matter, they can be
treated as a pore system independent of organic matter-
filled inclusion space. In this case, the effective property of
saturated rock is governed using Gassmann fluid
substitution. Alternatively, this part of fluid can be mixed
with organic matter to form an effective medium before
being incorporated into the rock physics workflow. The
saturated rock then calculated using Brown and Korringa.
Then, Backus averaging is applied for modelling of
transverse anisotropy in shales.
Brittleness index is usually defined in terms of mineralogy
or mechanical properties of shales, and brittleness is used
as a measure of rocks ability to respond hydraulic
fracturing. Based on definition in Rickman et al (2008) and
Goodway et al (2010), Guo et al (2012) define the
brittleness index accordingly in Equations (1) and (2):

Brittleness Index 1 = E/v (1)

Brittleness Index 2 = (+2)/ (2)

where, E is Young modulus, v Poissons Ratio, Lame
parameter, and Shear modulus.

Result and Discussion

Porosity and Mineralogy Mixture Effect
We first apply the shale rock physics model to a theoretical
example in which constituents include clay, calcite, and
kerogen. Clay content increases from 10% to 50% with an
interval of 10% Meanwhile, porosity varies from 0 to
20% with an interval of 4%. The aspect ratio of pores is set
to 0.2. The generated rock physics templates in Figure 2
illustrate the mapping of lines of porosity and mineralogical
mixtures on the cross plots of different elastic properties.
We see from Figures 2 that increasing porosity , reduces
elastic properties Vp/Vs, acoustic impedance, Young
modulus, Poisson ratio, , and . On the other hands,
increasing clay content, reduces acoustic impedances,
Young modulus, , and but increase Vp/Vs and
Poisson Ratio. This results confirm previous result by Guo
et al (2012).

Water Saturation and TOC Effect
Effect of water saturation and TOC is also exercised in this
study. TOC increases from 0% to 5% with an interval of
1% Meanwhile, water saturation varies from 50% to 90%
with an interval of 20%. The generated rock physics
templates in Figure 3 illustrate the mapping of lines of
water saturation and TOC on the cross plots of different
elastic properties. Increasing water saturation, increase
elastic properties Vp/Vs and acoustic impedance. On the
other hands, increasing TOC, reduces acoustic impedances,
and Vp/Vs. This results confirm previous result by Lucier
et al (2011). we then evaluate another elastic properties
such as Young modulus, Poisson ratio, , , brittleness



Figure 2: Rock physics template show the effect of
mineralogy and porosity on the crossplot. (a) AI vs Vp/Vs
(b) v vs E (c) vs

Figure 3: Rock physic template shows the effect of TOC
and water saturation on the crossplot.
(a)

(b)

(c)

PROCEEDINGS
HAGI-IAGI Joint Convention Medan 2013
28 31 October

index 1 and brittleness index 2. TOC increases from 0 to
12% with an interval 1%. Figure 4 shows that increasing
TOC, reduces Young modulus, Poisson ratio, , ,
brittleness index 1 and brittleness index 2.

Anisotropy
We evaluate effect of TOC and aspect ratio on the
anisotropy parameter. TOC increases from 0 to 20% with
an increase 1%. Aspect ratio varies from 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5.
Figure 5 shows that increasing TOC, increase anisotropy
parameter meanwhile increasing aspect ratio, reduces
anisotropy parameter. This results confirm previous result
by Sayers (2013).

Field Data
We use Gumai formation log data with depth interval from
6400 -7200 ft. The data include both sonic log (P- and S-
wave velocity), resistivity log, water saturation, volume of
shale, and porosity data. Beside of log data, the formation
has geochemical measurement properties such as TOC and
vitrinite reflectance. We use grid search inversion to get
TOC value from rock physics modelling.
Passey et al (1990) extract TOC from log data using
differences between resistivity and porosity log such as
density, neutron, or sonic log . Sonic log is the most
common log that used in Passey method. In this paper, we
use rock physics modelling to extract TOC. The schematic
view of our inversion process is illustrated in figure 6. We
use grid search to find the best aspect ratio and TOC for the
model. We first minimize dry bulk modulus Kdry error to
find aspect ratio and then minimize saturated bulk modulus
Ksat error to find TOC. In case, data is limited ,there is no
S-wave sonic log data, we can use P-wave modulus M
instead of bulk modulus K. For this field data, we initiate
the population of aspect ratio in range 0.05-0.3 and TOC in
range 0-0.06 (0-6 %).

The inversion result is shown in figure 7. Aspect ratio and
TOC can be extracted using this rock physics inversion.
Each modulus is well reconstructed similar as the observed
data with error distribution close to zero. The observed
TOC is plotted with the inversion TOC. Error between
observed and calculated TOC using this inversion is 0.11%.
On the other hand, error from Passey method is 2.9%.
Figure 8 show several elastic properties, aspect ratio, TOC,
and anisotropy parameter plot. From forward modelling,
we know that shale gas reservoir have low elastic
properties caused by the presence of organic matter. Based
on that phenomenon, our interest zone is between 6940
7020 ft (yellow highlighted area). This results is confirmed
by the presence of gas show from logging data. Anisotropy
parameter, epsilon and gamma, significantly caused by the
shape of pore geometries than by organic matter because
same TOC value can have different anisotropy value.
Aspect ratio have reverse relation with anisotropy value.

Figure 4: Increasing TOC, reduces elastic properties. Left
side (from top to base): Young Modulus, Poisson Ratio,
and Brittlenes Index 1. Right side (from top to base): ,
, and Brittlenes Index 2.

Figure 5: Crossplot TOC vs anisotropy parameter with
respect to aspect ratio (ar). Red (ar=0.5), Green (ar=0.3),
and Blue (ar=0.1). Increasing TOC, increase anisotropy
parameter.

Figure 6: Rock physics inversion workflow.
PROCEEDINGS
HAGI-IAGI Joint Convention Medan 2013
28 31 October


Conclusions

Shale gas reservoir can be identified from the elastic
properties. Generally, it has low velocity, low AI, and low
brittleness index. TOC and aspect ratio can be extracted by
using rock physics modelling inversion. Anisotropy factor
significantly caused by pore geometries than by the
presence of organic matters. high aspect ratio will have low
anisotropy parameter. Further research is needed to know
the effective brittleness index for hydraulic fracturing.
References

Guo et al, SEG Las Vegas 2012 Annual Meeting, 2012
Lucier et al, The Leading Edge, 2011
Passey et al, AAPG Buletin, v.74, no.12, P.1777-1794,1990
Sayers, C.M, Geophysics, v.78, no.2, P.D65-D74, 2013
Vanorio et al, SEG Las Vegas 2008 Annual Meeting, 2008
Xu, S. and Payne, M.A., The Leading Edge, 2009
Zhu et al, SEG Las Vegas 2012 Annual Meeting, 2012

(a) (b)
Figure 7: Inversion result (a) from left to right : aspect ratio, dry bulk modulus, and error distribution. (b) from left to right :
saturated bulk modulus, saturated shear modulus, and TOC

Figure 8: from left to right : velocity, acoustic impedance, brittleness index 1, brittlenes index 2, TOC inversion, aspect ratio,
epsilon, and gamma. Our interest zone between 6940-7020 ft